After a successful run in Pune Sunburn 2018 Asia’s biggest festival, has rooted itself back to Goa. They would be coming up with a bang on 23-24 February at Vagator beach in Goa. Before the actual event, we spoke to Percept Limited chairman and managing director Harindra Singh who gave us insights on how this festival would look like as it will be back in Goa again.

He gave us some exciting inputs on their plans, how they would roll out, challenges faced and a lot more.

Was it planned that you will have Sunburn 2019 in Goa?

We left Goa in 2016 with a very heavy heart. We tried really hard to recreate the magic of Goa across other destinations; however, Goa is Goa incomparable to any other destination. It’s impossible to create the Goa magic anywhere else.

We were waiting for an opportunity to return and host Sunburn in Goa. And when we read a recent statement of the Tourism Minister lamenting the exit of EDM Festivals and its associated impact, we saw a glimmer of hope and attained the confidence to tie-up with a viable partner to bring back Sunburn into the State of Goa.

Both parties are proactively trying to seek solutions and arrive at a mutual resolution, and it feels great to have arrived at a consensus to bring Sunburn back to its State of birth and continue to engage proactively to narrow past gaps and close the matter. I can state clearly that we are close to resolving all matters amicably and the gaps will soon be a thing of the past.

It’s a nostalgic feeling to witness Sunburn’s homecoming after a long gap of three years. We will work closely with the authorities to get all the required permissions to ensure the event goes off smoothly without any glitches, and also adds tremendous value to the local ecosystem.

What new are you planning to come up with Sunburn 2019 in Goa?

Sunburn Klassique marks the homecoming of Sunburn to its state of birth. Sunburn Klassique will be held on 23-24 February 2019 at Vagator Goa. It will bring back the original vibe of Sunburn, which is all about nostalgia, emotions, fond memories and having a great time with friends, the way it did earlier from 2007-2015 in Goa. From the setup to the stages and artists, Sunburn Klassique will truly stand apart.

Sunburn evolved to a much bigger and commercial format post-exit from Goa. But we all missed the original Goa Sunburn. It was cooler, more intimate, more emotions, experiences, pre-post parties, shacks, local food, and flavors. Sunburn Klassique will bring all of that back!

How are you managing the safety procedures?

The safety of our fans is and has always been our main priority. We work closely with all the authorities to ensure we have all safety measures in place. We also have a zero tolerance policy to drugs and ensure no banned substances enter the festival zone. Sunburn, along with our promoter Klassique, will also ensure that no norms or laws are violated in any manner and that the entire event is incident and glitch free. We have always, strictly, followed laws of the land and it has always been our top priority to provide a safe and secure environment for our fans.

What is your biggest challenge?

Our biggest challenge is that often people misunderstand what we are trying to execute. Therefore, it becomes our responsibility to educate and demonstrate what we truly represent - a colossal, open, collaborative, engaging platform for youth of India to connect, engage and just be themselves. Music fests like Sunburn encourage a healthy social experience. At Sunburn, you can camp out with friends, play volleyball, football, fly a kite, climb a man-made rock, read a book or just dance. It’s your time and you can spend hours doing exactly what you like with family and friends. It is a great place for like-minded people to meet, chat, connect, have a great time and make new lifelong friends. Our aim is to encourage people to come out of their homes, get off their couches, take their fingers off their phone’s keypad and TV remote controls, forget about the office workload and have a good time outdoors. Because that’s what being truly social is all about.

Did the procedures and licensing take a long time?

We have a tie-up with Shailesh Shetty, Klassique, who will be representing Sunburn in Goa and is currently managing the responsibility of handling all the procedures, logistics and permissions towards ensuring a seamless homecoming of Sunburn Klassique in Vagator Goa. Together we will ensure that all procedures, rules, and norms are followed to ensure a smooth and seamless festival for our fans.

How was the response you got to Sunburn 2018 Pune edition?

The event brought in considerable returns to the local economy and generated massive business for the region through the hotel, F and B, transport and miscellaneous expenses incurred by festival goers. Our aim has always been to benchmark India as the destination of choice for entertainment, lifestyle, and business on the global dance music tourism map and Sunburn Pune 2018, once again, achieved this goal by redefining and scaling up the music tourism experience in India. We are immensely grateful to our fans, artists, crew, partners, sponsors and all the concerned departments of the Government of Maharashtra for their incredible support in our collective endeavor to create history.

Any upcoming plans?

The immediate plan is to start with one Sunburn Klassique event on 23-24 February, and based on the success and feedback received, we are planning an increase to two events. Ideally, we would like to have one in the first quarter, one during the monsoon and one in the third quarter. 

We are committed to positioning Goa as the definitive destination of choice for entertainment, lifestyle, creativity, fun, and business through our initiatives with Sunburn. That’s our way of paying back and thanking the beautiful destination of Goa and its people for the love and support, they have given us, in making Sunburn the super global iconic success, it is today.